Blue Jays ask feds to approve 'modified quarantine' for unvaccinated players and staff

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. congratulates Marcus Semien after Semien's two-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 10, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

TORONTO -

The Toronto Blue Jays are asking the federal government to approve “modified” quarantine rules that would allow unvaccinated or partially vaccinated players and staff who enter Canada to leave their homes or hotels solely for the purpose of participating in baseball activities.

The club previously said it has received support from both the municipal and provincial governments to return to Toronto this summer but it is still waiting for Ottawa’s response.

As part of the pitch to the feds, the team is asking that the government permit fully vaccinated players and staff to follow the same rules as fully vaccinated Canadians, allowing them to skip the quarantine period after providing a negative COVID-19 test when they arrive. Fully vaccinated individuals will also be subject to weekly testing.

For unvaccinated or partially vaccinated players and staff, the team is asking for the federal government to green light a “modified quarantine” which would allow those people to leave their residences only for baseball activities within the 14-day isolation period.

“Over the past two seasons, the league’s COVID-19 protocols have been extremely effective and in the rare event that a positive case has occurred, the league has demonstrated the ability to contain the virus, including no instances of on-field transmission,” a spokesperson for the team said in an email sent out on Tuesday.

“More than 200,000 COVID-19 monitoring tests have been conducted since the start of the 2021 season, resulting in a 0.03 per cent positivity rate.”

The statement went on to say that the MLB has “extremely high vaccination rates,” with more than 85 per cent of players and personnel across the league fully immunized.

“Significant efforts have been made by the league and teams to provide education, access, and incentives to increase vaccination rates,” the statement read.

The Jays are currently playing home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo due to border restrictions but the team previously said it hopes to return to Toronto by July 30.

“We remain hopeful to be back home this summer, playing in front of Blue Jays fans at Rogers Centre for the first time in nearly two years and being part of our community’s recovery from the pandemic.”